NUMAN!

Are Friends Electric? Or should I have gone to see Placebo instead this evening?! What would you have done?!

I haven't seen our Gary for at least 4 years - Shepherds Bush Empire - 6th April 2002 is my last known entry in any diary I have with me and before that Brixton Academy 20th October 2000. You were right Ziggy I was there!! And whilst searching I also discovered I have been to The Forum - 14th Jan 2000 with Lisa to see Gene.... so there we go!

Not the best photo - but proof if it were necessary that I was there!!!

Met my mate Ziggy at Kentish Town tube at 5pm for once the Northern Line was doing the biz!! Went for beers in a dimly lit north London pub called I believe the Oxford. A couple of hours later two other Numanoids jined us - Matt and Phil - who I know I haven't seen for yonks!! There was a phase back in 1994/5/6 when Gary Numan was a rather large slice of my life. I helped write a fanzine with Ziggy, Matt, Phil and Andy who seems to have dropped off the face of the planet - (there are several stories about Andy I could share but will save - especially the time he visited Leicester and thought I could turn him!). Heady days - including V96 at Chelmsford to the see the great man at a 'festival'. Ziggy and I went to see him at Nottingham Rock City and with my Germany winning sweepstake money we got a cab from Nottingham to Leicester. Other Numan trips included the disco's and staying at Matt's house and watching his interesting video's - well he was on Jim'll Fix It meeting the man! Such a young innocent boy made to sit in a go-kart and circle Gary while he sang Cars... Matt had very big feet then too. Heady days indeed. Fun days. After this particular disco evening we ended up on Clapham Common for a free gig and saw the Spice Girls... history can be so rich and varied! My article in the fanzine was a review of that self same gig. I guess this is a testimony to that evening, those great memories and the little man Gary Numan who drew all these threads together.

So The Forum - 8.30pm beer in hand we near the front on the left as Gary looked at us. The gig was to replay the album Telekon, which includes most of my favourite Gary tracks which he duly played! I was naive I have to confess to the huge 'T' that was on stage. Apparently it used during the original gig days of this album. So with T lit and the smoke rising bright lights and action...This Wreckage and a stroll down memory lane. We Are Glass, I Dream of Wires, Remember I was Vapour, Please Push No More (made more entertaining by Eddie Large's Billy Idol looking brother standing in front of us with his very tiny lady friend. It may have been love or he may have been hungry - who can say - but with the rings he was sporting I was saying nothing.) I die you die I enjoyed and the encore - my favourite song Down In the Park, and my old Karaoke favourite Are Friends Electric?!

As I have posted once already this week - chums - lives all move at such at a hefty pace we tend to neglect the good parts. It was great to see old chums and catch up. See how we are all aging gracefully! And Gary for his part seemed to enjoy the reunion of his fans - he smiling lots and exchanging comments with the audience... much the way he did when I saw him at Nottingham. So thanks Gary and thanks fellow Numanoids! Remind me to Smile - when I think of this evening - I feel it will happen without the reminder! Plus I have already seen Placebo this year! :-)